Dan Vaughan has realistic expectations for this weekend's NFL draft, which kicks off Thursday night in New York.

Unlikely to get drafted, he will probably have to sign as a free agent or earn an invite to a rookie minicamp in order to make a favorable impression on a franchise.

For as much attention as Ryan Nassib, Justin Pugh and Shamarko Thomas are getting leading up to the draft, the reality is most of the Syracuse players eligible for this year's draft will have to take the same road as Vaughan if they are to see their NFL dreams come to fruition.

Vaughan is even going the extra mile to ensure his name finds its way on a team's radar. He hasn't signed with an agent, and he has had no contact with any teams outside of a couple scouts from the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers at Syracuse's pro day last month, but the former linebacker is going to write letters to several teams as early as this weekend to give them a better feel for why he deserves a chance.

"It wouldn't be anything specific in terms of, 'Listen, I like your team and I want to come in and want to make a linebacker position,'" Vaughan said. "It'd just be like, even though I'm not as marketed as big as these other players, I'm a graduate student who's played all my four years at Syracuse. I've started and I've made an impact on special teams. I've won awards. I'm a scholar-student and I'm a hard worker. And if you talk to anybody who knows me, I can benefit a franchise."

Former defensive end Brandon Sharpe, Syracuse's leading pass rusher last season, said he's had contact with only the Atlanta Falcons in the last two weeks.

Wide receiver Marcus Sales has ridden the coattails of Nassib by catching passes during the quarterback's private workouts. He said he's fielded calls from about 10 teams and has been told he's on their draft boards.

Defensive tackle Deon Goggins, offensive lineman Zack Chibane, linebacker Siriki Diabate and tight ends David Stevens and Carl Cutler all are considered long shots or fringe prospects for the draft.

And that might not be a bad thing.

Agents will often tell their clients that it's sometimes better to become an undrafted free agent rather than a late-round pick because you may have a choice of which team to sign with. This allows players to review roster needs and make an informed decision on which team they may have a better chance to stick with.

Sales said he has been told teams like him as a wide receiver who can line up on the outside or the inside slot position.

Sharpe has focused a lot of his pre-draft workouts on linebacker drills knowing he may best fit as a stand-up defensive end.

Vaughan does not hide the fact special teams is an area where he will have to impress.

For many of the former Syracuse players, this weekend is not as tense as it is for their three teammates projected to go early in the draft.

It's merely another checkpoint on their own journey to the NFL.

"It's been a weekend I've been looking forward to, not only for myself but for all the guys I've been training with," Vaughan said. "But I'm just going into it with an open mind, just hoping for the best, really. If I don't get picked in the draft, it's not the end of the world. I feel that I'm good enough that some teams are going to invite me to camps and I'll be able to show what I can do and I'll get into a team."